Saving Maes Hughes
by Maralexa
Summary: Rebuilding operations launch full force in Amestris. General Roy Mustang has everything he ever wanted, but something is still missing. His life could never be complete without Maes Hughes by his side, so when a mysterious man who calls himself the Doctor pays a visit to Central Command, a rewrite in time could change everyone's lives for better or for worse.
1. Chapter 1: Laws Rewritten

**Chapter 1: Laws Rewritten**

**Hi, everyone! Call me crazy, but I suddenly decided to start a new fanfic despite all the crazy college shenanigans that have dominated my time lately. I got really obsessed with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and I'm already obsessed with Doctor Who, so I suddenly had the idea to write this crossover.**

**For those of you who know me, HI AGAIN! For those who don't, I'm Maralexa, and I won't get into a boring profile here because there's already a boring profile option for that. Hopefully you don't actually think it's boring, but anyway…I'll shut up now.**

**Enjoy, read, and review! I love reviews. If you review before the next update, I always respond to reviews in the next update. It's a thing I do in hopes of encouraging more reviews, because who doesn't love having their feedback appreciated? It lets everyone know that I do read and pay attention to all of them, and REVIEWS ARE COOL. And bowties are also cool.**

**Without further ado…ALLONS-Y!**

* * *

><p>"Hello, General."<p>

General Roy Mustang stopped in the middle of unpacking his new office in Central, turned to the sound of the familiar voice, and instinctively saluted. "Fuhrer Grumman. Good to see you, sir."

"And you," Grumman responded, motioning for Roy to drop the formalities. "I gathered from your report that your work in the East was successful," he went on. "It's good to have you back in Central. Did you and your team have a nice trip back?"

"You could say that," Roy said, deciding not to jump into the overused train ride complaint.

"Good to hear," Grumman said, his eyes twinkling. "You are truly an asset to your country, General. You serve our people well."

"Thank you, sir, but I'm only a part of the bigger picture," Roy said automatically, though the compliment meant a lot coming from this man.

"Take some credit, General. This country would not be here without you." Before Roy could object, Grumman waved him off. "Now, onto more pressing matters. Are you settled in? Finished unpacking?"

"Nearly, sir. I just arrived this morning."

"When was the last time you had a break?" Grumman asked him.

Roy paused a moment, reflecting on the previous year. Since he went to the East to help rebuild Ishval, he was often caught sleeping on his desk, in a library, in the car… Riza had to wake him up more times than he could count. They accomplished a great deal in the East, but rest wasn't a priority at the moment. "I don't have time for a break," he finally answered. "We have a country to rebuild. Which reminds me…how have things been here in Central?"

"We have made great progress," Grumman said, smiling. "Many of the laws have changed."

Roy glanced back at his desk, piled high with paperwork. "Law changes, huh? I'm guessing that's what those are."

Grumman nodded. "A man of your rank must familiarize himself with the laws of our country. But before you go into that, you need to take a break. Get some rest, settle down, and for the love of Pete, find a woman!"

Roy couldn't help but laugh a little. He really had missed his commanding officer's good-natured sense of humor. "Thanks, sir, but I'll have to pass on that. Joking aside, there really isn't a woman out there for me." _Not one I can legally marry, anyway,_ he silently added.

"Well, if you're sure. You have a lot of reading to catch up on, then, General. I think the document on the top may be of particular interest to you." With that, Grumman waved goodbye and strolled out, followed by a pair of disoriented bodyguards who clearly have trouble keeping up with him.

Shaking his head, Roy went back to unpacking the office, though the Fuhrer's words had sparked his interest. What was so exciting about law changes? He knew this man long enough to recognize he was up to something. Roy had learned from the best, after all. After a moment's pause, he decidedly went to his desk, sat down, and studied the document Grumman had indicated. After scanning legalese for a few minutes, his eyes hit a key word. He quickly read through the rest, holding onto the hope that this was indeed what he thought it was…

"General Mustang?" Riza Hawkeye, recently promoted to Lieutenant General, stepped in the doorway and saluted him. "The Fuhrer told me you wanted to speak with me, sir."

Roy tried to conceal a smirk. _That clever man_, he thought, trying to picture the look on Grumman's face as he orchestrated this. "Right. Come in," he said, assuming a business-like demeanor.

Riza approached his desk, eyeing the mountain of paperwork. "Do you need me to motivate you, sir?" she asked, patting the gun on her hip.

"That won't be necessary," he said, standing up and coming around to meet her. "I have a different question for you." Without warning, he placed one hand on her back and used the other to sweep her off her feet. "I've been waiting to ask you this for a long time."

Riza's face flushed bright red and her eyes widened in shock. She knew this look; it was his womanizing face, and this was hardly the time and place for it. "Cut it out, sir!" she gasped, squirming a little. Had he gone mad? He should know better! Especially in the open like this! When he wouldn't immediately let go, Riza shoved his chest, grabbed his arm, and flipped him in one fluid motion, holding his arm behind his back in a submission hold.

"Ow," Roy groaned, mentally assessing whether or not anything was broken. Of course, nothing was—she would never do that to him. "Damn. I forgot how strong you are. No wonder I fell in love with you."

Riza was about _this close_ to slapping the smirk off his face before it dawned on her that she had just flipped her commanding officer. Regardless of everything they had been through together, she was still his subordinate. True, his actions were out of line, but hers were as well. "I apologize, sir," she said quickly, releasing him from the arm-lock, standing up, and brushing herself off.

"No, no, it's my fault," Roy said, doing the same. "I probably should have picked a better way to break the news to you. I can be a little too creative sometimes."

"News? What news?" Her mind was reeling. By this point, she came to the conclusion he was not drunk. Was he resigning from the military to be with her? She would follow him, as always, but not without doing everything in her power to convince him how idiotic that would be. She loved him, of course; she always has, but his duties to Amestris were far more important than their love for each other. They couldn't have both, so she accepted a long time ago that his duties came first. She was content with working as his subordinate as long as she could be at his side, no matter what. She convinced herself every passing day that this life was enough for her. She quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind and studied his face. That face, those eyes…she had read them for years, but even she couldn't explain why he seemed happier than he had ever been since the day she met him. If he was truly leaving the military, he would be a moron to look this ecstatic. No, this was something else. One possibility crossed her mind, but it couldn't be. It was something she'd dreamed about for years, but never expressed aloud because, realistically, it would never happen.

All of this crossed her mind in a matter of seconds. As she thought it through, Roy picked up the document and held it out to her. "Read this."

Riza was no more a fan of legal writing than her commanding officer, but she did as she was told. After a few minutes, her eyes found the word. Anti-fraternization. Her heart skipped a beat as she continued reading, and she almost dropped the document as she read the confirmation that the military's anti-fraternization laws have been abolished. Her eyes met Roy's, and as the truth sank in, she realized why his whole aura was glowing.

Roy watched her demeanor slowly change as she read it, and when her eyes met his, he knew the answer to the question before he even asked it. When a man asks a woman this question, they usually have a few years' dating experience under their belts. They go on countless dates together, exchange gifts, kiss often, and talk about the future before raising the big question. Roy and Riza have done none of these things—at least, not on the record. Despite this, neither could imagine being with anyone else. They fought side-by-side, had each other's backs, protected each other at all costs, and knew each other better than anyone else in the world. They had more signs, signals, and codes than they knew what to do with, and they trusted one another with their very lives. When Roy got down on one knee and gazed lovingly up at his subordinate, his best friend…he knew he didn't even have to ask.

"Riza Hawkeye…will you marry me?"

Riza Hawkeye had only truly cried twice in her lifetime. When no one was looking, not even Roy, she cried at the death of her father. When she thought Roy had died at the hands of the homunculus, Lust, she shed more tears than she cared to count. That day, she felt as though half of her was ripped away, leaving her with nothing left to live for. Now, as she looked into that man's shining eyes, glowing as warmly as the flames produced by his alchemy, the tears threatened to make a third appearance. "Did you really have to ask?" She knelt down in front of him, a silent signal that no matter what, she wanted to be by his side and on his level. "You moron, of course I'll marry you," she said, pulling him into an embrace. She rested her chin on his shoulder, finally letting the tears fall now that her face was hidden.

Roy felt the teardrops hit his jacket, and he slowly pulled back. "Hey, watch it. You know I'm useless in the rain, Lieutenant General."

"You don't usually admit it out loud, _General_," she teased, wiping her eyes. She paused at a knock on the door, though she didn't have time to compose herself before Kain Fuery, recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, stepped in. "You're popular today," she remarked, to which Roy simply smirked.

"Sir, some of your things got mixed up with mine," Fuery said, holding a box, which he ended up dropping upon seeing the scene in the office.

"Hey, some of those are breakable!" Roy objected. Realizing Fuery was likely not yet aware of the law change, he hastily added, "And don't get any ideas; we were just—"

Before he could say any more, Fuery proclaimed, "_My OTP is canon!_"

This wasn't exactly the reaction Roy was expecting. "Your what?"

"My OTP," Fuery said excitedly. "We've been shipping you two for _years_."

"We?" Roy asked at the same time Riza said, "Shipping?" Neither were entirely familiar with Fuery's tech lingo.

It wasn't long before the rest of Team Mustang, all three of whom were promoted to Brigadier Generals, assembled in Roy's office.

"So it finally happened, huh?" Havoc asked, taking the cigarette out of his mouth long enough to laugh. "Congrats, General."

"You were all listening in, weren't you?" Roy asked.

"Whole time, sir," Fuery responded. "It was the Fuhrer's idea, though."

"So bringing my stuff in was just a front," Roy deduced, crossing his arms. "You'd better replace everything you broke."

"It was worth it," Fuery said, though his eyes were apologetic.

"Wait, you all knew about this?" Riza asked.

"We were in on it," Havoc admitted, shrugging. "We even bet on how the Lieutenant General would take it."

"Which I won, by the way," Falman said pointedly. "I bet she would flip him."

"I was kind of leaning toward a punch in the face," Havoc said. "I was damn close, too."

Fuery sighed. "I was really hoping for a kiss or something."

"Cute, but not realistic," Breda said. "I was so sure she'd yank her gun out."

"You were all wrong, though," Falman told them. "Pay up."

Roy could only watch in bafflement as his team grudgingly counted through the money in their pockets and handed it over to Falman. "I can't believe he told my team about the law change before us," he said, bewildered, though not entirely surprised. This whole plan reeked of Grumman. It was his style, after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or any of the characters. Gosh, that would be awesome if I did.<strong>

**AN: So there's Chapter 1, guys! Let me know what you think by shooting me a review, or simply by following/favoriting it so I know enough people like it to keep going. I can't promise frequent updates, but I pledge to never leave a story unfinished, even if it takes an uber-long time to do so. Thanks for reading! :D**


	2. Chapter 2: To Crash A Wedding

**Chapter 2: To Crash A Wedding**

**Hey guys! This story is loads of fun for me, so I came up with this update relatively quickly. Feel free to review at any time, and if you ever have any ideas, feel free to send them my way, because I never usually write a story with a definite plot in mind. If I have enough for a beginning and a general idea for the middle, I'll go for it and let the story write itself from there. Anyone who knows me and has read my stories would know that about me, and also that I love hearing your thoughts and ideas. :) So if you have thoughts on how to make the story better than my potential plan, please do share! Without further ado, here's Chapter 2!**

**roseclararizawin: Thank you so much for the compliments! Grammar and character development are some of the most important things to me when writing a story or finding one to read. I also wanted to build a good foundation before launching into the real story. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**Pergjithshme: Yay confetti! Glad you're back! I missed ya! And yes, I'm fully aware of what maniacal laughter for non-maniacal purposes feels like. I do it all the time. :D Yay Royai!**

* * *

><p><em>A few months later…<em>

"Hold still," Chris Mustang grumbled as she tried to slick Roy's hair back. "You're going to mess it up."

"I can do this myself," Roy complained. "Since when do you ever fuss over me?"

"I don't," Chris answered, slapping his hand before he could ruffle the gel out of his hair. "You'd better not get used to it, either. You only get married once." Her voice sharpened a little as she added, "You'd better only get married once, or I didn't raise you right."

"You did fine," Roy told her, smiling a little, but still squirming despite her attempts to hold him still.

"I don't need your approval," she scowled, but he detected a note of satisfaction in her voice. Despite her gruffness, Chris really was proud of how he turned out. As he grew up, she repeatedly told him she'd be damned if she didn't make a gentleman out of him.

Fuery was sitting nearby, typing away on a laptop he had recently built. Roy made a mental note to ask Fuery to build one for him, because the recent invention seemed pretty useful, though Roy had yet to figure out how it worked. He torched the last one he attempted to use because the controls were too frustrating. Evidently, flame alchemy does not make machines bend to your will in the same way it works on humans. Not that he would use it against humans anytime soon, but still, it was good to know; machines are definitely not flame-resistant.

Falman stepped in and shook his head disapprovingly. "Lieutenant Colonel Fuery, you're supposed to be helping set up," he said.

"I'm blogging," Fuery mumbled, his eyes glued to the screen.

"You're what?" Roy turned his head to see what Fuery was doing, much to Chris's dismay.

"Don't make me strap you to a table, Roy," she growled.

"Blogging," Fuery repeated, still typing. "About the wedding."

"Don't blog about my wedding!" Roy objected, turning his head again and earning a smack from Chris. "What does that even mean?"

"I'm posting about it on Tumblr," Fuery informed them, wrapping up his post. "Hashtag…OTP. Okay, done," he said, closing the laptop to indicate finality.

"Tumblr will never be a thing," Havoc said from the corner, where he was taking a "smoke break."

"It _will_ be a thing," Fuery insisted. "Just wait."

"Do me a favor and don't make it a thing about my wedding," Roy requested, wisely keeping his head still as he did so.

"This wedding won't happen if you people keep slacking off," Falman complained.

"Get lost, all of you," Chris ordered Roy's team. "Go make yourselves useful."

"You heard her," Falman said, confiscating Fuery's laptop. "Move out."

Once the men cleared out, Roy stood and stepped in front of a full-length mirror. His hair was plastered with more gel than he personally preferred, but Chris wouldn't have it any other way, and arguing was pointless. He was wearing his usual military uniform, but Chris had washed and pressed it to give it a neater look. After years of working side-by-side with the woman he loved, they could finally make the vows to bind them together forever. Sentiment wasn't usually Roy's style, nor was it Riza's, but today was an exception. "I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy the spotlight, to be honest," he said without turning around.

"Don't you dare back out, Roy Mustang," Chris said sharply.

"Don't worry, I'm not," he said, smiling a little. "To be honest, storming Central on the Promised Day sounds like cake compared to this."

"You'll do just fine," she assured him. "I'm going to find a seat. Don't wait too long, or I'll drag you out of here myself." She offered a small half-smile before turning to leave.

Alone with his thoughts, Roy turned his attention back to the reflection in the mirror. This was it…the day he would get everything he ever wanted. He held the second-highest rank in the land and, in a few moments, would hold the woman he has loved for years. Everyone considered him a hero, and in a few short years, he would more than likely be the one to take Grumman's place as leader of Amestris. He was a talented alchemist before, but the experience in the portal of Truth—though terrifying in every respect—made him that much more adept with alchemy. Everything was falling into place, yet…something was missing.

"Maes Hughes," he whispered, letting sadness momentarily cross his features. This was a happy day, but his closest friend would not be there to see it. "Here I am, almost at the top, and you're not up here with me." His gloved hands tightened into fists as his turned his face away from the mirror and closed his eyes, letting memories envelop him for a moment. "That wasn't the plan, Hughes. You were supposed to help me get here. You're supposed to be the best man at my wedding. How can I do this without you?"

For a brief moment, Roy could almost imagine Hughes standing beside him, shaking his head with that half-serious, half-dorky smile on his face.

* * *

><p>"It's too bad you cut your hair, Riza," Rebecca complained. "I can't really do much with it!"<p>

"I think I'll grow it out again," Riza commented, thinking of Roy's many attempts at _subtly_ telling her how much he preferred her hair longer. In the few months that passed since the proposal, her hair had grown to a length just above her shoulders. Even at this length, she often had to swat Roy's hand away from it, because she would often catch him trying to play with it in a procrastination attempt. It was the small things, really; that man would do anything to distract himself from work. Some things never change.

"It looked good long," Rebecca agreed, weaving flowers into her hair and adjusting the dress. "You look _so_ beautiful!" she squeaked. "What do you think, Hayate?"

The little dog looked up and cocked his head at Riza, looking happy as always, but he seemed to approve.

"So, how does it feel? Finally getting married?" Rebecca asked, smoothing the folds in Riza's dress.

"I never expected it, honestly," Riza admitted. She and Roy had originally hoped to do something simple, but given their ranks and statuses as heroes of Amestris, it wasn't exactly easy to do anything quietly. The ceremony would be short, she hoped; she knew Roy was probably feeling just as uncomfortable as she was, but ultimately, they were both happy. Still, she wanted to be with him, not in a room lined with cosmetic supplies getting dolled up like a beauty queen.

If anything went wrong, she wouldn't exactly be able to fight in this dress. Some would call her paranoid, but caution became a part of her on the same day she became a killer. Since the days of Ishval, Riza was always counting exits and forming every possible strategy on what to do if something went wrong. These heightened senses only grew stronger during her days as the Bradleys' hostage. The first homunculus, Pride certainly instilled enough fear in Riza to keep her on her toes. Roy's single order constantly rang in her mind: _don't die_. Even on a peaceful day like today, that order still remained front and center in her mind. If she died, it would destroy him. If he died, the same would happen to her. Not only did she have to constantly monitor her environment for her own protection, but for his as well. Despite the upcoming ceremony to become his wife, Riza Hawkeye still had a priority to watch his back and protect him no matter what.

She refused to voice her paranoia to anyone for fear of being labeled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She never even told Roy, though a part of her wondered if he already knew. There were many things they didn't need to tell each other aloud for the other to understand.

For example, Riza somehow knew Roy was probably reminiscing about Maes Hughes at some time or another before the ceremony. Every moment Rebecca spent perfecting the bridal look was another moment Riza spent silently wishing to be with Roy, to comfort him, even if all it took was a small smile or an exchanged glance. She was itching to get down and find him so she could calm whatever anxiety he was likely trying to bury. Roy Mustang would never let these feelings show to anyone else; it wasn't his style. No doubt, Riza thought, he was probably alone at that very moment, trying to gather his thoughts and compose himself so everyone would see the man they expected him to be. They wanted General Mustang, so that was exactly what he gave them. His eyes, though… His eyes were windows straight into his soul, and only Riza knew how to read them right. She could see past General Mustang, straight through to Roy…the man she fell in love with.

"Earth to Riza?" Rebecca waved a hand in front of her friend's face. "Spacing out on your wedding day?"

Riza blinked back to reality, realizing Rebecca was done and awaiting a response. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to push the thoughts from her mind. "I'm just…"

"I know, I know. You're in _love_. Well, hurry up and approve of your look so you can go be with him, okay?" Rebecca said, laughing. "Come on, the mirror, look!" She practically dragged Riza to the mirror and stepped back to let her see the full image. "Well?"

Riza was shocked to say the least. The woman in the mirror resembled her, but not in a way she ever imagined. Flowers were woven into her blonde hair, and her long white dress was absolutely dazzling. What little sunlight filtered through the window bounced right off the tiny, shining silver sparkles sequined onto her dress. It took a moment for her to realize the sparkles were patterned into the same transmutation circle as the ones on Roy's ignition gloves. "It's beautiful," she said. "Thank you, Rebecca, for everything."

"Don't mention it," Rebecca said, bursting with pride and excitement. "Now get out there and get married!"

* * *

><p>As far as everyone could tell, Roy Mustang was completely calm. Riza stepped into view from behind the tall arches of flowers, and one look at him indicated how nervous he was. His stature was relaxed as always, but she could see a slight, barely-noticeable tremor in his hands; his gaze, though relatively steady, sometimes flickered. His eyes fell on her as she stepped onto the path, and as soon as their gazes met, she silently encouraged him to focus on her alone. At this very moment, it was just the two of them. As long as they solely fixated on each other, they could get through the ceremony with relative ease.<p>

Roy read her signal and nodded ever so slightly; Riza was relieved to see him visibly relax. _I can't just focus on him_, she told herself. _I have to make sure he's safe. Anyone could take advantage of this moment to assassinate him._ Not everyone agreed with his ideals, so despite the passing of the Promised Day, Riza stayed on guard.

Though she concealed it well, Roy noticed Riza's apprehension as she approached him. Even now, on their wedding day, she was watching his back. He smiled warmly at her, hoping she'd understand how badly he wanted her to relax and enjoy this day. It was their day, after all. There were plenty of soldiers in place to watch his back. She could take a break for now.

Riza could never take a break. Her gaze flickered around the open and beautifully-decorated area where the ceremony was taking place. Because they were outside, anyone could approach from anywhere. Before the ceremony even started, Riza memorized the escape routes and theorized the various methods of wedding-crashers. She had thought about almost everything. At last, only a few more steps lay between Riza and Roy. She was over halfway there, and looked forward to taking her place beside him. Everything was going perfectly so far, and none of her fears came to light.

Unfortunately, Riza had not foreseen the rain.

Without warning, the clear blue sky was replaced with fluffy gray storm clouds, and before anyone could bat an eye, the entire wedding was doused with pouring rain.

"What the hell?" Roy exclaimed, throwing his arms up to shield himself from the rain. "Where did that even come from?"

Riza gazed up at the sky, feeling the raindrops quickly soak her hair, her dress, her face…it was ironic in the most unexpected ways. After spending a few seconds wondering where the random rainfall had come from, Riza's eyes once again met Roy's, and with about as much warning as the rain provided, she started to laugh. Kicking off her painful and expensive heels, Riza ran to the love of her life and threw her arms around him, kissing him with enough passion to make up for the years she had to hold back.

Riza hit Roy with enough force for both to lose balance, and before they knew it, they were lying in the wet grass, drenched, mud-stained, and laughing hysterically. For several moments, the couple lay where they were, holding each other and laughing.

"Hair gel, Roy? Seriously?" Riza asked, ruffling his sopping hair.

"Hey, it wasn't _my_ idea," Roy said defensively. "What about you? Heels? Please. The dress was beautiful, though."

"Not anymore," Riza said regretfully. "Rebecca worked hard on it, too."

"Forget the dress. You're still beautiful to me," Roy said sincerely.

Riza laughed. "We're both a mess."

"Agreed." Roy looked up at the sky, which was still pouring absurdly-heavy rain on them. "That was anticlimactic. I thought we were supposed to get married. It wasn't meant to rain today. The sky was completely clear!"

Before Riza could make any comments about his resultant uselessness, a voice cut into their chatter. "That was my fault, actually. Hello." A tall, lanky man with a blue suit, strange red shoes, dark red tie, and spiky brown hair with sideburns towered over the couple, holding an odd little device. "I've been chasing a chimera, see, and this was supposed to track it, but instead it did a thing to your climate. So terribly sorry."

"Who are you?" Roy asked automatically as Riza drew a gun from a secret place in her dress.

"Oh. Military. Of course." The man sighed and shook his head disapprovingly. "You soldiers and your guns. It doesn't matter what dimension I go to; you're all the same."

"The general asked you a question. What is your name, sir?" Riza demanded.

"Me? Oh, nothing exciting. I'm the Doctor."

Roy and Riza simultaneously asked, "Doctor who?"

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. Not the manga, not the animes, not the movies…just to make sure I'm covered. I also don't own Doctor Who—past, present, or future. Timey-wimey stuff, you know.<strong>

**AN: So the Doctor has made an appearance! The plot thickens. As always, thanks for reading, and your reviews are always appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3: Allons-y!

**Chapter 3: Allons-y!**

**Hi everyone! I've been so super-mega busy with school projects that I haven't had much time for writing, but I think the work overload has been enough to motivate me to write. Any excuse to procrastinate, am I right? Hope you enjoy the third installment!**

**Kenzie Perth: Aww, you're so nice, thank you! Between your glitter and Pergjithshme's confetti, my story and I are now officially colorful and sparkly, and this makes me happy! :D**

* * *

><p>"I love it when they ask that," the Doctor said, beaming. "Gets me every time. It's just…the Doctor. My name is the Doctor." Before the couple could comment, the Doctor suddenly snapped his fingers and dramatically pointed at them as if something had suddenly occurred to him. "Oh! You're the Mustangs, aren't you?"<p>

"We were about to be," Roy informed him, "until you did…whatever that was…and made it rain on our wedding." Roy had never seen this man in his life, but it was not uncommon for someone to recognize a hero of Amestris. News of the wedding had, no doubt, spread across the land.

"Right…sorry about that," the Doctor said, apologizing once more. "Should be temporary. It'll clear up in a day or so, I imagine."

Roy seemed perfectly content with the strange man's recognition of them, but it made Riza uneasy. "You called us the Mustangs. Everyone knows our wedding was set for today, but you act like we've been married for a while now. You told us your name, but who are you _really_?" she demanded.

"Calm down a moment, and I'll tell you," the Doctor promised her. "It would be nice if we could get out of the rain, though. Why don't we head back to my ship? We can talk there."

There was that word again. _Ship_. Fuery used it on the day Roy proposed to Riza, but he'd used it as a verb in reference to the team's mental pairing of the two. The young Lieutenant Colonel had yet to fully explain it, but Roy preferred to stay out of that world if he could avoid it. Fuery seemed to think the world would be run by technology one day, but Roy highly doubted it.

"Your ship?" Riza asked skeptically.

"You really don't trust me," the Doctor noted. "Oh, come on! I've got a trusting face, see?" He flashed a wide, toothy grin, and even pointed at his face for emphasis. Riza was unfazed. "Blimey. All right. Enjoy your rain, then." With that, the Doctor tossed the useless device aside, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked away.

"Don't follow him, Roy," Riza warned her partner. "I know how you alchemists are." She crossed her arms and started toward the car, looking forward to a nice, hot shower. "You put curiosity over reason every time, and it makes it so much harder to watch your back." Riza paused, realizing she could no longer feel Roy's presence beside her, and turned in dread to see her husband-to-be trailing the Doctor. "Dammit, Roy," she scowled, sloshing through the muddy puddles that were collecting in the grass from the steadily-pouring rain.

"You don't have to come with me," Roy told her as she carefully picked her way over to him.

"Don't be a moron," was all she needed to say. Maneuverability was so much harder in the wedding gown; she would smack him later. Really, he made no sense sometimes! Why did alchemists have such an insatiable obsession with knowledge? They often put their own safety at risk just to discover some truth or other, and Roy Mustang was no different. He frequently wore an eager, almost hungry expression that Riza dubbed his I-have-to-study-it face. The Elric brothers often had a similar countenance, and Riza could almost swear that Alchemists have a universal desire to study anything and everything. Who cares about staying alive, right? Priorities matter.

It was difficult to move quietly in the pouring rain; both Roy and Riza suspected the Doctor had long since noticed they were following him, but if he did, he gave no indication. He just kept sauntering along, humming a little and seeming almost carefree. If Roy had not taken a good look at the man's eyes while the trio was conversing, he would have pinned the Doctor as cheerful and downright untroubled. Roy knew better, though, and wondered if Riza had caught it as well. The deep, kind brown eyes of the Doctor…they were the eyes of a killer. A killer who had seen too much pain, suffering, and death to ever go back to the way things were before. A killer filled with such deep regret that it followed him everywhere, no matter how happy-go-lucky he made himself out to be. Roy carried this same burden and knew all too well how to identify it in others. One glance at Riza indicated she had also noticed; despite the inner tirade about idiotic alchemists that was more than likely going on in her mind at the moment, Roy could tell she was intrigued by the man as well.

The couple trailed the Doctor for about five minutes before coming to a stop in front of a large blue box. Neither Roy nor Riza knew what to make of it. On the top, it read "Police Public Call Box" and appeared to have a door. Roy immediately connected it to a telephone booth, though they could not see inside it. The "Police" label could have something to do with the military police, but a more burning question was how the box had gotten there in the first place. It didn't appear to have wheels or any other visible method of transporting it. It had certainly not been there before, so _someone_ must have gotten it there _somehow_.

Riza cast a sideways glance at her partner; she could practically see his wheels turning. "Why don't you just ask him?" she suggested.

"Welcome to the TARDIS," the Doctor proclaimed without turning around. He did not sound at all surprised they had followed him, and his tone indicated he had recited these words many times before.

Roy's curiosity got the better of him. "Is that what you call it?" he asked, taking a tentative step forward.

The Doctor turned to face them, smiling faintly. "Yes. Time and Relative Dimension in Space. She's my home. Sort of. Do you want to come inside?"

Every scientific bone in Roy's body screamed at the impossibility of the three of them fitting inside it, let alone a man living there. The box didn't exactly look portable. Intent on having his questions answered, Roy nodded. "I'll just…look from the outside," he said.

"Suit yourself," the Doctor said, opening the TARDIS. "Come closer; she won't bite!"

She. As if it was sentient. Confident to quench his thirst for knowledge so he could go home satisfied and get cleaned up, Roy strode to the TARDIS and peeked inside. What he saw made him stumble backward in shock.

Riza raced to his side immediately, wondering if it had hurt him. It took a lot to alarm Roy Mustang, so whatever he saw inside must have been extraordinary.

Before Riza could say anything, Roy stepped into the TARDIS, looked around in wonder, and then peeked out to make sure the exterior had not magically altered itself in his absence. "It's…impossible," he gasped, stepping back inside, then leaping out as if it would swallow him. He stuck his head in once more, then pulled back and walked two laps around the TARDIS before stepping inside once more.

Riza was growing increasingly concerned at this point and intentionally kept her distance from the box that had her future husband so entranced. "Roy…Roy, it's just a box," she said quickly, wondering if he'd gone mad. When he stepped out to face her, Riza recognized the I-have-to-study-it face immediately.

"Riza." His voice was focused and insistent, as if he was telling her the most important thing in the world. "It's bigger on the inside," he said, jerking his thumb toward the TARDIS.

"Don't be stupid," Riza said, shoving her gun at him. "Hold this." Gripping her wedding dress, Riza stormed over to the TARDIS entrance, intent on proving him wrong. What she saw made her freeze in her tracks. What appeared to be an ordinary blue box on the outside was a whole different world on the inside. It was like nothing Riza had ever seen; no words came close to describing the large, complicated room that lay before her eyes. She could hardly believe it, and it was right in front of her. She blinked several times, then did a lap around the TARDIS, much to Roy's amusement, and tapped the sides and back for anything that could trigger such an illusion. "All right," she said, throwing her hands up in submission. "I give up. Who are you?" she asked the Doctor.

"I'm the Doctor," he reminded her. "I'm a Time Lord from Gallifrey, and this is my time machine."

"Time Lord," Roy repeated. "Sounds…fancy."

"You don't seem surprised," the Doctor noted.

Roy shrugged. "I've seen enough impossible things in the past few years to last a lifetime. The near-destruction of a race, alchemy used in ways unimaginable, artificially-created humans, a living philosopher's stone, immortality, the Portal of Truth…Been there, done that. I'll be honest, though…I've never met a Time Lord."

"What does that even mean?" Riza asked.

"I'm from another world," he told her. "What, you think your world is the only one that exists?"

"There are theories about life beyond ours," Roy said pensively, "but none have been proven. We don't have the capability of travelling beyond our world, and we're pretty happy where we are. A handful of alchemists are obsessed with other worlds, but no one takes them seriously."

"Shame," the Doctor said, "because there is so much out there. Billions upon billions of different planets, life forms, stars…I'm hundreds of years old and haven't even put a dent in it. I can go anywhere I want in time and space, but I can never possibly dream of seeing all the universe has to offer."

Roy gazed at the TARDIS again, lost in thought. "A time machine, huh? You can really travel through time?"

"Yes," the Doctor said. "Tell me, General Mustang…would you like to see for yourself?"

Roy tore his gaze from the TARDIS and whipped around to face the Doctor, immediately at attention. "You're serious?"

"I am. I ruined your wedding, didn't I? I think I owe you," the Doctor said reasonably. "Equivalent exchange."

"You're willing to take us anywhere in time and space. Anywhere at all. Right now?" Roy asked, trying to wrap his head around this. The Doctor nodded.

"I'm in my wedding gown," Riza objected.

"Yes, you are," the Doctor affirmed, trying not to think about the irony of her statement. "I can drop you by your place before we go. You can clean up and get changed, and I'll take you anywhere you want and anytime you want. Within reason," he added necessarily. "I'll have you back five minutes after you left. No one will even know you left. What do you say?"

"I'm in," Roy said, a look of determination crossing his features.

"Hold on. Let's talk about this," Riza objected.

"I'm going," he told her simply, "and there's nothing you can say to change my mind. Whether you come or not is up to you."

Riza wanted to slap him. He should _know_ by now that she would never let him go anywhere she couldn't follow. Someone had to watch his back, because he sure as hell never did. He could be such an idiot sometimes, but she loved him with every fiber of her being. She would certainly not stand by and let him go on such a strange and unknown trip without her. If he didn't have her to step in, he could do something stupid, or even get himself killed. Roy was a great man, and a clever one at that, but they both knew he'd be long since dead without her.

Riza didn't have to voice any of this. Roy took one look at her face and knew she was irritated with him, but would never let him leave her behind. He was lucky to have her, and he would never take her for granted.

"It'll be fun," he assured her. "Just relax for once."

Riza had a growing feeling that this trip would be about more than simply relaxing. Roy had something in mind. A specific time, a specific man. If she had to be the one to stop him from doing something reckless, then so be it. "Fine. Let me get changed first," she requested.

* * *

><p>"I have a time in mind I'd like to take Riza," Roy told the Doctor when he re-entered the TARDIS. "Don't tell her; consider it my wedding gift to her."<p>

"All right, then," the Doctor said, turning to face him. "What do you have in mind?"

"Year 1914," Roy responded, writing down the specific date, time, and location. "This was the night Riza and I first met," he lied smoothly. "I thought it might be a good first place to start."

The Doctor had seen plenty of aggrieved people desperate to use the TARDIS as a means of bringing loved ones back, and he could see right through General Mustang's façade. Just as Riza played along, however, the Doctor decided to as well. If it came down to it, he would stop the general from breaking the laws of time, as he'd done with numerous others he let aboard his ship. "All right, then," he said smoothly. "1914 it is."

Riza joined them a few minutes later, fully equipped and uniformed.

"Good, we're ready to go," the Doctor said, smiling. "The first and most important rule of travelling with me is that we are observers. When going back in time, you must remember there are fixed points that must not be meddled with, or you will destroy the fabric of the timeline and very, very bad things will happen. Don't wander off, and if you come across your past selves, don't make contact. Paradoxes are highly very bad. Any questions? No? Good. Hold onto something," the Doctor told them as he pulled a lever. "_Allons-y!_"

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or its fantastic characters, nor do I own anything Doctor Who related.<strong>

**AN: Here it comes, guys! The moment you've all been waiting for! As always, shoot me reviews, because it makes me happy and motivates me to update more quickly! ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: Time Rewritten

**Chapter 4: Time Rewritten**

**Hey people! Sorry the first few chapters were so slow. This is when the real action begins, and I'm hoping to spark more interest as the excitement picks up. See what I did there? Spark. Someone come up with a state alchemist title for me based on fanfiction writing. I'd be most happy to have one. :) Anyway, with increased interest hopefully comes increased reviews. If you love it, I'd love to know! If you don't...well, I hope you do, but...I'd still love to know!**

**Without further ado, here's the chapter where stuff hits the fan.**

**Guest: Thanks for the feedback! Believe it or not, your review is what made me decide to go forward with this. :) One of the big reasons I'm writing this fic is because, like you said, there aren't a lot of Doctor Who x Fullmetal Alchemist crossovers, so I wrote one of my own. :D**

* * *

><p>"Where exactly are we going?" Riza asked, holding onto the nearest railing.<p>

"You'll see!" the Doctor responded. He felt he somewhat owed them for spoiling their wedding, but he would keep the situation under control if things potentially got messy. Of course he would. He was good at that. "We'll be there soon."

"I need to know," Riza said, meeting the Doctor's eyes, "if you know us somehow." She still couldn't shake the feeling that the time lord's recognition of them back in the rain had more to it than simple words on the street. "Did you meet us in the future or something?"

"Can't answer that," the Doctor said apologetically. "Spoilers. So sorry."

"Well, he called us the Mustangs," Roy pointed out. "Looks like you and I have a future together."

"Maybe," the Doctor mused, shrugging. "Maybe not. It's always in flux, time. It really can't be defined by what will happen or what has happened or what have you. It's not…linear. It's a ball, actually, but…not really. Well, sort of…_well_…it's timey wimey stuff all souped together. No, no, not soup. Sort of like a rug. Kind of. Blimey, I'm not sure how to put it in words you'd understand."

"So it's always moving?" Roy guessed.

"In a way, yes," the Doctor said. "Time Lords can move about using the Time Vortex, but it's a bit of a tricky business."

"Can time be changed?" Roy asked in as casual a manner as he could muster.

The Doctor locked gazes with him, knowing exactly what lay behind the formalities of his inquiry. "Time can be rewritten," he said carefully, "but not without consequences. Time Lords were not the rulers of time; they were the overseers of it. I am as bound to the laws of time as you are; the only difference between you and me is I have ease of access. With that ease of access comes responsibility. Do I save people when I can? Of course. But only if and when I can. Some people have to die in order to let important events unfold." His voice was firm, as though he was attempting to drive a clear and distinct point into Roy's mind. Time was not to be messed with, and as an overseer of time, the Doctor would not allow anyone to break the rules. "Take it from me; don't blindly try to rewrite time. You know nothing about it."

Roy nodded, keeping all of this in mind. "Thank you," he said. "I was just wondering. I never knew time travel was possible."

The Doctor pulled a lever and stepped back, grinning widely. "Have a look outside and see for yourself."

Roy approached the TARDIS door, holding his breath as his hand closed around the handle. If they really had travelled through time, he would see a clear evening in Central City on the other side of that door. Wherever they had landed, he would be able to find what he came for. He had every inch of street in Central perfectly memorized. After a moment's pause, he turned the handle, opened the door, and peered outside.

Despite being told they had traveled through time, Roy could still hardly believe it. They had moved, no doubt, and it was no longer raining. At night, Central City was equal parts beautiful and terrifying. Its lights provided a calm, classy look to the simple streets, sidewalks, and buildings, but Roy had learned just how ominous the many shadows could be. He took a slow, tentative step out of the TARDIS and onto the sidewalk, still trying to convince himself this was real. He continued this slow, cautious movement for a couple of minutes after he had fully adjusted to the phenomenon, because as long as he kept a façade of dazzled bewilderment, the Doctor would not take too many precautions against him.

"Is this the right place?" the Doctor asked, stepping out.

Roy nodded. "This is amazing," he breathed, looking around as though dumbstruck. "We actually moved."

Riza's light footsteps hit the pavement as she left the TARDIS to join the two men, equally astonished. "What's so special about this moment, Roy?" she asked him. "You picked this time, didn't you?"

The Doctor turned to face her. "Don't you know?" he asked. "It's the night you first met."

"We didn't meet in Central," Riza said, confused.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, looking a little sheepish. "I don't always land perfectly," he admitted. "Sometimes I'm off on the location; other times, the date or hour. The TARDIS is great, but she makes mistakes, too."

"If you were looking for the day Roy and I met, we should be at my father's estate in 1999. Roy and I were fourteen when he became my father's apprentice, and that's when I met him."

"Blimey!" the Doctor exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "Roy told me you met in 1914!"

Riza whirled around to face Roy, but he had long since vanished. "1914…that's the year…shit. I'll kill him." Before she could further explain, Riza sprinted down the street, knowing _exactly_ where Roy was headed and hoping she would not be too late to stop him.

* * *

><p>"It's <em>Uncle<em>…_Sugar_…_Oliver_…then eight…zero…zero."

"Your code was verified," the operator responded, sounding as casual as though she was processing an order for takeout. "Please hold while I connect you."

"Will you hurry?" Maes Hughes shouted forcefully, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "It's an emergency!" He stiffened at the sound of a gun clicking nearby. A quick glance behind him revealed Second Lieutenant Maria Ross holding a gun at his back.

"I need to ask you to put down the receiver," she told him firmly. "Please, sir."

Ignoring the stinging pain of his shoulder wound, Maes slowly turned to face her.

"Go on," she said. "Just hang it up."

"You look just like—but you're not," Maes realized aloud, grinning nervously. Beads of sweat started forming on his face as he processed just how complicated this whole thing was getting. First was his discovery with the connections between the uprisings and massacres, then the attack from the lady with the strange tattoo and talon fingers. Now a Maria Ross lookalike was pointing a gun at his back. Whoever these people were, they wanted him quiet. If he could just get ahold of Roy…just stall this imposter long enough… "Who the hell are you, lady?" he demanded.

"I'm Second Lieutenant Ross, sir," she said with an unfriendly smile. "You've lost too much blood."

"Drop the act already," Maes snapped, earning a frown from the imposter. "You're not Second Lieutenant Ross. She has a mole under her left eye!"

The imposter gazed at him a moment, seemingly surprised, then grinned menacingly. "You're observant," she said in a completely different voice. "I can't believe I forgot!" With that, she casually tapped the skin under her eye where the mole should be, making it appear as if by magic. "There, how do I look now?" she asked smoothly.

Maes gasped, unable to fully maintain his calm, forceful façade after a stunt like that. "This is not happening! Please tell me I'm hallucinating or something," he whispered, gripping the receiver. The phone in his hand was the only thing that made sense at the moment. He had to get to Roy no matter what.

"You really are a smart man, Lieutenant Colonel," the imposter said conversationally, glancing at the family photo at her feet. "Did you ever think that would be the cause of your death?"

Not much longer. Just keep her occupied. "Come on, have a heart, will ya?" he asked through his teeth. "I've got a wife and daughter waiting for me," he tried, meaning it with the utmost sincerity, but also hoping this would give the imposter second thoughts…just enough time to get Roy on the line. "So the last thing I'm gonna do," he added, subtly grabbing the knife from his sleeve, "is die on them!"

Gripping the knife, Maes whirled around to face the imposter, and almost dropped the weapon when he saw Maria Ross had been replaced by his wife, Gracia.

"You look surprised!" she said, maintaining the imposter's amused, mocking voice.

Having no shred of calm left in him, Maes trembled uncontrollably as he gazed, horrorstruck, into the eyes of the monster who had taken the form of his wife. "What the hell are you?" he gasped, close to tears.

As the imposter poised to pull the trigger, a huge blast of fire swept across the street, setting the Gracia lookalike ablaze. The unrecognizable form inside the raging flames was screaming in shock, agony, and rage. When the fire subsided, the burnt and blackened figure took on the form of a young man with long, wispy black hair, a black bodysuit, and a muscular physique. He was nothing pleasant to look at; red sparks flared from his burnt skin as it healed itself.

"Flame alchemy," Maes whispered, turning to the source of the attack. There was only one man who could create a fire attack like that, but he was at the Eastern Command Center. His mind reeling, Maes looked down at the imposter, who was still rapidly healing. How the hell was that even possible?

"Dammit!" the man shouted, curled up in a ball on the ground as his body healed. "Show yourself, you coward!"

"Gladly." From the shadows stepped Roy Mustang, his long coat and shaggy black hair blowing in the wind and his eyes narrowed with focused anger. "You tried to kill my closest friend," he said, voice low and menacing. "I can't let you do that, Envy."

"How the hell do you know me?" Envy shouted, getting to his feet to fight back. "You're at the Eastern Command Center!" he screamed, launching himself at the flame alchemist.

With a clap of his hands and a snap of his fingers, Roy sent Envy sprawling on the ground again, screaming in pain as the pinpoint flame seared his eyeballs.

"Look, Hughes, I don't have time for daughter stories," a familiar voice scowled over the phone. Maes stared at the phone, dumbstruck, then turned back to the man attacking Envy. "Hey, Hughes? Hughes! You okay? Hughes!" the voice shouted over the phone, starting to sound worried.

Without thinking, Maes snatched the phone and pressed his back against the wall, breathing quickly and shallowly. "Roy," he whispered, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice. "Wh-where are you?"

"I'm packing up my office at the Eastern Command Center," Roy answered, sounding concerned. "What the hell is going on over there?"

"Y-you're still in the east," Maes murmured, staring dizzily at the scene in front of him. The other Roy was still at it, sending the monstrous Envy into a screaming, burning mess multiple times.

"Yeah," Roy said, his concern turning to worry. "What happened to you?"

"Tell him to send for an ambulance," the Roy lookalike told him. "You're going to be fine."

"Call an ambulance," Maes said shakily, managing to provide his location. "I'll fill you in later."

"Hughes, wait—!" The colonel's voice was cut off as Maes put the phone down, hoping he wouldn't regret cutting contact with the only somewhat-normal human in the equation.

"You're crazy!" Envy shrieked, taking off running. Eventually, he managed to turn a corner and escape the oncoming flames.

"You bastard, I'm not letting you get away!" Roy shouted, moving to pursue, but the haunted look on his best friend's face froze him in his tracks. At that moment, Envy didn't matter. Roy Mustang had succeeded; he had stopped his friend's murder just in time, and now he was alive…now he could be the best man at Roy's wedding, and his wife and daughter would not suffer the loss of Maes Hughes.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, storyline, etc. of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I also don't own the scene from Episode 10.<strong>

**AN: The deed has been done. The time has come for the consequences…and the feels! Hope you're enjoying this as much as I am! Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5: Plans Rewritten

**Chapter 5: Plans Rewritten**

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to get to this update. I've been pretty busy. Final exams are coming up, so naturally, I've had a lot of schoolwork slammed in my face at once. I appreciate the feedback, and as things continue to heat up in this fic, I'm hoping you guys keep enjoying it!**

**Kenzie Perth: Yep, that's Roy for you. When he thinks things through, he's damn clever, but his impulse-acting has never proven effective. xD**

**Paradox Flux: He's certainly not happy, that's for sure! Glad you like it!**

**Dragonheart4258: Thanks for reviewing! So glad you're enjoying it!**

* * *

><p>"What is this?" Maes demanded, his back still pressed against the back of the telephone booth. "You're in the east. How are you here?" He knew this man far better than he knew Maria Ross. If this was an imposter, Maes would know about it. A quick glance revealed nothing in particular; this man was Roy Mustang in every respect. His hair, his face, his gloves…his approach to alchemy was a bit different, though. Ordinarily, he would snap his fingers to create the flames, but this man had clapped his hands first…just like the Elric brothers. Also, upon closer inspection, the gloves he wore were pure white; they did not have transmutation circles on them. And the decorations on his uniform were those of a general, not a colonel.<p>

"Hughes," Roy breathed, staring at Maes as though he was seeing him for the first time. "It's me," he whispered, slowly extending a gloved hand. "Roy Mustang. You know it's me."

"The Roy Mustang I know is a colonel in the Eastern Command Center," Maes said slowly. "You have the decorations of a general. His gloves have transmutation circles; yours don't. And your alchemy…you clapped your hands like the Elric brothers."

"You really are observant, Hughes," Roy said quietly, taking another tentative step forward. "I missed that about you, among other things."

"How can I trust you?" Maes asked warily.

Roy gazed at him a moment, then stooped to pick up the family photograph on the pavement. "I used to get so tired of your wife and daughter stories," he mused, gazing at the picture and trying not to shudder at the memory of finding it covered in his friend's blood. "Gracia was all you ever talked about in Ishval…and I thought you'd _never_ shut up about Elicia since the day she was born." After a moment's pause, he offered the photo to Maes, holding it as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. "It wasn't just them you cared about," he added, locking eyes with him. "You were prepared to do whatever it took to help me get to the top. I took you for granted."

Trying to steady his trembling hand, Maes took the photo from Roy and stared at it himself for a minute before putting it back inside his jacket. "Come on, Roy," he said, smiling nervously. "You're acting like I died or something. I'm right here." His mind was still swimming with possibilities, but maybe if he could get this man talking, the truth would come out in their conversation. This man was acting exactly like the Roy he knew, but there was something…off about him. He still had the confidence and purpose of Roy Mustang, but he seemed less arrogant and almost…somber? This was a man who had seen far more than he was letting on. Maes recognized it as something similar to the haunted look in Roy's eyes after Ishval, but this was bigger.

Without warning, Roy whipped around and took a battle stance. "Don't you dare!" he shouted, poising to strike if necessary. "I know you're there, Riza. I won't let you kill him."

Maes pressed his back against the booth once more, heart racing. Lieutenant Hawkeye? She was here, too? Why would she want to kill him?

"You're an idiot, Roy," a familiar voice snapped just before Riza emerged from her hiding place behind a bench. "I can't believe you did this! Do you have _any idea_ what this will do to our timeline? What were you _thinking_?" she shouted, slapping him hard in the face.

Timeline. Time travel. Maes gazed at Riza in shock, noting that her hair was shorter and her uniform bore the decorations of a Lieutenant General. There was no other explanation. These two were from the future. But _how_?

"What's done is done," Roy fired back. "You can't bring yourself to pull that trigger, and if you try, I'll stop you."

_Pull the trigger? _Maes thought. _Roy mentioned missing me earlier. He said he took me for granted. Of course._ He hated to legitimize the very idea of this, but there was no denying it. He must have died.

To add to the confusion, a third man ran into the street. "Blimey, I can't turn my back on you for one second! I—no." His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. "You didn't."

Roy narrowed his eyes and turned to face the newcomer, his demeanor taking on a newfound air of defiance. _What are you going to do about it?_ his eyes seemed to say. "Yes," he said tightly. "I did. Do you have a problem with that, Doctor?"

"I should never have taken you," the man murmured, running a hand agitatedly through his hair. He paused for a moment as if deliberating what to do next. "TARDIS. Now," he said coldly, surprising everyone with the severity of his tone.

"We can't leave Hughes in the dark," Roy objected. "There's a lot we have to—"

"I think you've done enough damage," Riza scowled, grabbing Roy's arm. "Do as he says. For once."

Maes watched this play out, wondering if he should say something, but he chose to keep quiet for his own safety. Maes clenched his jaw as the strange man turned to face him for the first time. "Don't touch me," he said warningly as the man approached.

Going completely against this wish, the man placed a finger on Maes's forehead. After that, there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

><p>"You didn't kill him."<p>

Lust was the first to return to the rendezvous point, and it was not long before the constantly-present Gluttony was at her side once more. When Envy arrived, he was a little shaken but, more than anything, outraged. It didn't take much for Lust to deduce that the attempt on the lieutenant colonel's life did not go as planned.

"Ya think?" Envy snarled, pacing rigorously. "The damn flame colonel got in the way! Wasn't he supposed to be in his office? _Miles from here_? And he knew my _name_! What the hell?!"

Lust thought this through a moment. She had failed to kill Hughes, yes, but the lieutenant colonel did not have enough time between her attack and Envy's to alert Mustang and get him there in time. "They were one step ahead of us. This is unexpected," she mused.

"Something's rotten here," Envy continued, still raging. "Mustang has no way of knowing who we are or what our plans are...and he's _miles_ away!" he repeated furiously.

"Tell me, Envy," Lust said. "Did you notice anything during the attack? Are you sure it was Mustang?"

"Yeah," Envy scowled, sitting down and crossing his arms over his chest with a mutinous look on his face. "It was him, all right."

"He's causing trouble?" Gluttony asked, tilting his head to one side. "Can I eat him?"

Lust shook her head. "No. He's a candidate. You know the orders, Gluttony." She paused a moment as a plan formed itself in her mind. "Though I'm uncomfortable with his sudden insight on our plans, I can't say I'm not interested in how he came by the information. He could prove very useful."

"Useful? Damn dangerous if you ask me," Envy muttered.

"I wouldn't say that," Lust told him. "If we use the situation to our advantage, he could be an ideal pawn. We've learned that his flame attacks could be life-threatening to us, so we will need to adapt our strategy to that fact."

"What do you have in mind?" Envy asked her.

A sly smile pulled at Lust's lips as she told them her plan.

* * *

><p>"He won't remember the past thirty minutes," the Doctor explained as he walked, hands in pockets, toward the TARDIS. "He lost a lot of blood from the injury in his shoulder, but he'll be fine when the ambulance picks him up."<p>

"What will happen to our timeline?" Riza asked, keeping a watchful eye on her fiancé.

The Doctor stiffened a little. "You tell me. How impactful was that event?" He knew the answer, of course, but it may serve them better if they worked it out themselves.

"The death of Maes Hughes led to Roy's investigation on what information the lieutenant colonel was trying to tell him that night," Riza recalled. "Maria Ross was framed for the murder, so Roy staged her death and sent her to the ruins of Xerxes to prevent an execution."

"And if Maes Hughes was not murdered?" the Doctor prompted.

Riza thought back to the Promised Day. "Maria would never have gone to Xing, which means she would not have brought the extra ammunition to Central to aid the coup."

"What coup?" the Doctor asked her.

Riza glared pointedly at Roy. "That's right. Maes's death drove you to keep digging for answers. The more you investigated, the more you uncovered, but Maes Hughes was always the basis of your motivation."

Roy flushed and stared at the ground, feeling like a child being chastised for misbehaving, and mumbled, "I don't see how saving a man's life will destroy a timeline." Everything made sense, of course, but Roy's pride forced him to cling to the stubborn belief that he had done the right thing. "You could be dead wrong. With Maes alive, he can tell me what he wanted to tell me. We could investigate side-by-side."

"Maybe," the Doctor said, "but maybe not. You have no idea what will happen from this point forward. The timeline is rewriting itself as we speak. When you change something in time that was not meant to be changed, you erase everything that happened following that event. You tore a hole in the fabric of time, and now this new timeline you created will face the consequences of whatever happens to fill that hole. It could turn out exactly as it did before…or something new and drastically different could happen. Messing with fixed points can have one of two consequences: either you cause the event to happen, which is usually the case, or you alter the event in such a way that you drastically rewrite time."

"So the second is what happened here, then," Riza deduced. "What will happen to us? If someone kills my past self…or Roy's…in the new timeline, what happens?"

"You cease to exist," the Doctor said. "The timeline you know is being rewritten. This version of your likenesses will vanish regardless."

"We haven't vanished yet," Roy said hopefully. "Maybe nothing significant changed."

"Don't be quick to assume that," the Doctor warned him. "Look back in your memories. What do you remember of the night Hughes died?"

Roy frowned. "I have…two memories, actually." He recalled two different incidents…one in which the phone line died, and the other with a response from Maes. "I remember both versions of what happened," Roy realized aloud, his mind reeling. "But…I don't remember what happens afterward. I just remember calling an ambulance."

"This is because you're in this timeline right now," the Doctor said. "If I took you home, you would get an inflow of memories or you would cease to exist. It really depends on what happens from here on out."

"We shouldn't go home, then," Roy said, trying to wrap his mind around all of this while simultaneously forming a plan. "If we stuck around, we might be able to make sure the timeline goes the way it's supposed to."

"You've done enough damage," the Doctor reminded him. "I don't need you further meddling with time."

"We have to try," Roy said firmly. "I don't want to risk going home and losing everything."

"I wish you thought of that risk _before_ you rushed in to save Hughes," Riza said exasperatedly.

Roy shook his head earnestly as the plan started to piece together in his head. "If we succeed, we can save Maes Hughes _and_ save Amestris from the Homunculi. We know their plan. We can stop them before it starts."

"You're forgetting something," Riza said. "We're in our own timeline. If we run into ourselves, it's over."

"Sure," Roy said. "We just need to steer clear of our past selves. Hughes has a lot of important information already. If we feed him the other pieces of the puzzle, he can work with the past version of me to stop the homunculi. In the meantime, we can work undercover to halt their plans."

Riza sighed. "It's risky. Not to mention dangerous. But I guess we have no other choice. Doctor?"

After a moment's pause, the Doctor shrugged and finally relented. "All right, fine. I'm supervising you, though. You play by my rules." He looked pointedly at Roy when he said this. "Got it?"

Roy saluted him. "Yes, sir."

"Don't. Just…don't. Don't do that."

Roy shrugged. "Your rules."

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Fullmetal Alchemist. Or Brotherhood. I don't own anything, really. I'm not interesting enough to own anything. Hope that changes.<strong>

**AN: Homunculi plotting + Roy plotting = highly very bad stuff about to hit the fan. Keep reading and reviewing, everyone, and I hope you enjoy this story, however long it takes me to update. ;) As always, if you have any suggestions, toss them my way! I don't have the whole thing planned or anything, so if I get a really good idea from a reviewer, I'll probably use it, add you in the extremely interesting disclaimer, and publicly thank you in the review responses. Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6: Memories Rewritten

**Chapter 6: Memories Rewritten**

**Once again, I'm sorry for the delayed update. Things have been crazy with exams, holiday traveling, and Christmas activities. To make up for it, here's a nice long one! I'm hoping to have another chapter finished by the New Year if not directly after. I've had some downtime to spend writing, and I must say, the ideas have been flowing almost too fast for me to get them down! I hope to keep this story suspenseful and engaging now that we've gotten past the setup stages. Things will hopefully continue to get more interesting from here!**

**Dragonheart4258: I'm glad you're enjoying this!**

**Kenzie Perth: That's the thing with Roy; he can be a total idiot, but he ****_almost_**** always finds a clever way to reveal he'd been planning elaborately the entire time. Sometimes he was, and other times he's just covering up for being an idiot. ;)**

**NotYourNormalFangirl: Ah yes, Edward often finds a way to unintentionally complicate things. Thanks for the idea; I actually didn't put much thought into Ed's role in this until now. :)**

**Paradox Flux: Thanks! And yes, the Doctor brings trouble with him everywhere he goes…even if that trouble is Roy Mustang.**

**roseclararizawin: You're very welcome! Aww, thanks so much! That was what I had in mind, actually; I couldn't find a good, long crossover fic, so I figured I'd take a stab at writing one. I love the support, thank you!**

* * *

><p>Colonel Roy Mustang was not interested in his new office at the Central Command Center. He paid no attention to the murmurings amongst the other soldiers in the hallway, all of whom seemed to share a common opinion about the flame colonel's young age in respect to his position. There was only one thing on his mind at the moment, and not even a direct order from the Fuhrer himself would divert Roy's attention.<p>

"Hey, Roy," Maes Hughes greeted him cheerfully from the hospital room.

"Don't you 'hey' me," Roy chided with only half-hearted seriousness. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Maes said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

Roy sighed and took a seat at his friend's bedside. "What the hell even happened to you?"

"I…honestly don't remember," Maes admitted.

This came as a surprise. _How can he not remember?_ Roy wondered, feeling slightly guilty for being skeptical, but the whole situation was odd, and he wanted straight answers. _He didn't lose that much blood, and he was pretty coherent on the phone with me._ "You asked where I was, and you sounded surprised when I told you I was packing my office in the Eastern Command Center," Roy told him, hoping to jog his memory a little. "You told me to call an ambulance, then said you'd fill me in later." His tone said, _It's later. So start filling me in._

Before Maes could reply, a small girl raced into the room and leapt onto Maes's bed, shouting "Daddy!" as she did so.

"Elicia, wait!" a woman's voice called.

"Hello, Gracia," Roy greeted her with a small smile.

"Oh, Colonel Mustang." Gracia Hughes nodded respectfully in his direction, though her primary focus was on her husband. "It's good to see you," she added as an afterthought before joining her daughter at Maes's side.

"Maybe we should continue this conversation later," Roy said pointedly, making it very clear that they _would_ continue it.

"Sure, Roy," Maes said, his voice slightly tired. "I'll see you later."

After saying a hasty goodbye to the Hughes family, Roy left the hospital with more questions than before. Why did Maes seem so reluctant to share any information about what happened? Anyone else would write it off as part of the recovery process, but Roy knew this man better than that. If there was something important weighing on his mind, Maes would most definitely share it with Roy as soon as possible, and he would do so without holding back. Unless…

"Hello, Colonel."

That voice. Roy turned around and reflexively saluted. "Fuhrer Bradley, sir." What was the Fuhrer doing here? Was there someone in the hospital he needed to see? Somehow, Roy doubted Bradley was here to visit Maes Hughes.

"How are you adjusting to your new office?" Bradley inquired.

"To be honest, I haven't had the chance to do anything with it yet," Roy admitted. "I came in early this morning and pretty much headed straight here from the station. I dropped a few things off in the office, but I wanted to check in on a friend as soon as possible."

"So you came in this morning." Bradley nodded thoughtfully, as if this bit of small-talk was an important piece of information. "You're here to see a friend, you said?"

"Yes, sir. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was injured last night, but I don't know much more than that."

"The Lieutenant Colonel, you say? Hmm." Bradley looked Roy up and down as if scrutinizing him, then broke the awkward silence with a warm smile. "Well, I'm glad to see you made it here safely. Good luck, Colonel, and I imagine I'll be seeing you soon."

"Yes, sir." Roy saluted again, then headed for the door. Mildly curious as to what brought the king of their country to the hospital, he risked a glance over his shoulder to see Bradley heading straight for Maes's room. _Interesting._ The way Bradley was behaving, he didn't seem to have any knowledge of Maes's presence here before running into Roy. He was probably here for a different reason and wanted to pay respects before moving on to whatever it was that brought him there.

Without giving it another thought, Roy strolled outside, hands in pockets, with no particular desire to unpack his office or his apartment.

* * *

><p>"Is the plan in motion, Wrath?" Lust asked as he joined her and Gluttony at the rendezvous point in the Third Laboratory.<p>

"Yes," Bradley told her. "Envy is exactly where we need him, and as expected, Mustang went to the hospital to visit the Lieutenant Colonel."

Lust, sitting atop one of the empty cages that once contained some experiment or other, leaned forward a little and rested her chin on one of her hands. "Did you see anything?" she asked, referring to his Ultimate Eye.

Bradley nodded, his brow creasing a little. "Mustang told me everything I needed to know to indicate he was not at the scene that night. When he told me he arrived this morning, I could detect no dishonesty in his statements. He openly told me he was there to see Hughes and knew nothing about the situation aside from the injury."

"And he was honest with you?" Lust pressed.

"Completely," Bradley told her. "He wasn't hiding anything."

"Any particular emotions?" she asked.

"Concern, mostly," Bradley said with mild disdain. "His soft, weakling human concern for his comrade overshadowed any other thought or emotion he might have had. He was somewhat frustrated; I have every reason to believe he is completely in the dark about this, and he doesn't enjoy the ignorance any more than we do."

"This confirms what Envy was saying, then," Lust mused thoughtfully. "There could very well be a second Mustang. Based on Envy's account, the flame alchemist who attacked him not only knew his name, but also had purpose to his actions. This was not a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Somehow, he knew our plans."

Gluttony seemed to be half paying attention to the conversation, but his eyes lit up as a sudden thought occurred to him. "If there are two Mustangs, can I eat one of them?"

"No, you cannot," Lust said firmly.

Gluttony's face fell. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea to him.

"We need more information about the man who attacked Envy," Lust continued. "If we move forward with this plan, he will more than likely come to us."

"And if he doesn't?" Bradley prompted.

Lust narrowed her eyes and glanced momentarily at one of the cages. "Then we move to our backup plan and force him out of hiding. Either way, he will play right into our hands."

"He could be very useful," Bradley agreed, "but we can't make a move until we learn more about the situation. As planned, Pride and I will continue with our surveillance until we know enough to take action."

"Leave the surveillance to Pride for now," Lust told him. "You are needed in Dublith."

"Dublith?"

Lust nodded. "Yes. Our father wishes to speak with his prodigal son."

Bradley's eye narrowed and he gave a small nod. "Understood."

"Focus on Greed for now; don't worry yourself with Mustang," she said, her voice smooth and confident. "We have plenty of time before the Promised Day arrives."

* * *

><p>"The first thing we need to do is ditch the uniforms," Roy told Riza as he went through the bag of clothing he had left in the TARDIS. "Our decorations would be dead giveaways." He finally settled with a long-sleeve white shirt, green vest, white scarf, and the usual long black trench coat. "We can probably just sleep in the TARDIS and use it for transportation so we'll be less likely to be seen in public."<p>

"What exactly is your plan?" Riza asked, picking out a green shirt and white jacket. "You're working in Central right now. If you waltz into the hospital to talk to Hughes, you might run into yourself."

"I was thinking about that," Roy said, pulling on the trench coat. "No doubt the homunculi will be watching for me as well. I guess I'll just need the hawk's eye to watch my back."

"You're impossible," Riza said with a sigh. "All right. I'll do the best I can, but I can't be everywhere at once."

"I don't expect you to," Roy said, handing her an earpiece. "I just need you to be my eyes. I'm the only one who can feed the information to Hughes. I'd send the Doctor, but I doubt Hughes would trust him, and it would only lead to more questions. He needs someone he knows and trusts, so it has to be me."

Riza put the earpiece in place, feeling a knot form in her stomach. This was bigger than anything they had ever faced, and no matter how pissed off she was with Roy for causing it, she still worried for his safety. "Just be careful."

"I will." Roy stepped forward and tilted her chin up with his hand, smiling in that cocky way Riza pretended to hate. "I love you." His voice was tender and genuine, but there was a teasing note of '_you can't stay mad at me because you looooove me'_ in his voice.

"You're an idiot," she said for the umpteenth time, "but you're my idiot." When he leaned forward to kiss her, she didn't pull away.

"Do I get to see your soft side?" he asked, smiling broadly.

Geez, he could be such a dork sometimes. "No," she said as her face deadpanned. "You have a timeline to fix. Get to work." With that, she shooed him toward the TARDIS door and took a moment to select her weapons of choice. As she did so, she pretended she didn't see the injured puppy look in her fiancé's face. He'd brought this upon himself and probably deserved harsher, but she really couldn't stay mad at him for long. When she turned to face him again, guns in hand, all childishness had faded from Roy's demeanor to be replaced by firm resolve and grim determination. This was one thing about Roy Mustang that many people could never quite figure out; he had so many layers and sides to him, and though his different "personalities" seemed detached from each other, they were all part of who he was. Many people had seen his womanizing tendencies, but he usually put on the authoritative and somewhat egotistical face of a military officer; Riza was pretty much the only one to see the childish dork side of him. She was also the only one to ever see him cry, and vice versa, both of which had only happened on a few rare occasions. She hoped she would never see his vengeful side again, because it was one of the most painful things she had ever witnessed.

"Keep an eye on the hospital," Roy told her, "and see if you can find out where my past self is. I need to speak to Hughes."

"Be careful what you say," Riza warned him. "Knowing you, he probably paid Hughes a visit earlier."

"I'm sure I did," Roy said, still finding it hard to get used to having another version of himself around. "At least we know one thing that will give us an advantage."

"What's that?"

"I'm pretty sure I can predict my own movements, and you know me well enough to do the same. With what we know about how I think and act, we won't have much difficulty avoiding me."

"I see what you're saying, but you still sound ridiculous," Riza commented, sharing Roy's discomfort with the idea of past selves.

"Welcome to the world of paradoxes," the Doctor mused. He didn't need to point out that their discomfort was self-inflicted. If they hadn't messed with time, none of this would have happened. As it stood, they had a responsibility to make things right.

A sudden thought occurred to Roy as they headed for the TARDIS door. "Where are the Elric brothers right now?"

"They went to Dublith to meet with their teacher," Riza recalled. "They didn't find out about the murder until they returned to Central."

"Good. Things might get complicated if Ed was here." With that, Roy put on his earpiece and strolled outside, hands in pockets. As he walked down the familiar streets, he unintentionally attracted the attention of many young women, all of whom unsuccessfully tried to conceal their giggles. The laughter grew substantially in volume when Roy risked a wink at a pair of them.

Riza watched the scene and rolled her eyes. Here, in this timeline, Roy Mustang belonged to no one. Therefore, he had every right to radiate eligibility to anyone and everyone. This was the 1914 Roy Mustang, and if he acted any other way, he would seem suspicious. _Does he have to be so involved in being in character, though?_ Riza thought exasperatedly. With a shake of her head, Riza stepped outside and, unlike her counterpart, moved as subtly and silently as the shadows. Her eyes flickered around constantly, knowing there needn't be too much to worry about since most people would be in their homes at this time of evening, but still. Her task was to watch Roy's back, and since he obviously wasn't making any conscious effort to stay safe, she had to do all the reconnaissance herself.

Riza settled in place, checking to make sure she had her pistols, sniper rifle, and binoculars on hand. She then turned her attention to the hospital, confident in her position, which allowed her to see the entrance, the window to Hughes's room, and the hallways surrounding it. She would have a visual on Roy as well as anyone in the vicinity.

"I'm in position," she told him. "You're clear."

Roy subtly brushed his index finger across his cheek to indicate he understood, then walked casually into the hospital.

"Oh, Colonel Mustang. Back already?" a nurse asked.

Roy wasn't sure when his other self had come to visit, but it was probably sometime this morning. A second visit certainly wouldn't seem suspicious, so this nurse must be making small-talk. "Can you blame me?" he asked, a note of genuine concern in his voice.

"Of course not," she said, smiling kindly. "Do you want me to walk you to his room?"

Quickly remembering himself, Roy smiled broadly. "I would never turn down the company of a lovely woman," he said smoothly.

The nurse blushed slightly and gave him a small smile before quickly shuffling down the hallway. "This way, sir."

Roy imagined his fiancée was not enjoying this. Riza was probably perched somewhere, seeing and hearing everything. She had to understand his reasons, and he was sure she did, but he silently reminded himself to apologize to her later. This couldn't be comfortable for her.

"Hey, you're back," Maes greeted him with a grin.

"Of course." Roy stepped in and took a seat beside the bed. "How are you feeling? You look a lot better."

"Like hell I do," Maes said, chuckling a little. "Seriously, though, I'll be fine. How are you holding up?"

"Still adjusting," Roy said without missing a beat. "I look forward to working with you again." He paused a moment, trying to formulate a good way to introduce what was on his mind. "If you don't mind my asking…what happened to you?"

Maes's expression darkened ever so slightly. "I already told you, Roy: I can't remember."

"I know, but you need to try." Roy paused a moment. Something suddenly occurred to him, as if a voice was whispering in his head. "I'm planning to start an investigation on whatever attacked you. Anything you can tell me about that night would be helpful."

_That's a dangerous leap, Roy, _Riza thought, narrowing her eyes. What was he playing at?

"You're a good friend," Maes said, "but I don't know how much help I'll be."

"Do you remember what happened before you were attacked?" Roy pressed. "What were you doing? Were you reading something? Maybe investigating something?"

"I…was." Maes narrowed his eyes in concentration, then tightened his jaw. "I think the medicine wore off."

Roy quickly glanced at the time, then stood up. "I'll get the nurse," he said. As keen as he was on getting the mission done, he knew it would take time. If he jumped into it too quickly, he might make a mistake or arouse suspicion. This had to be a gradual process, however painstaking it may be. "It's late anyway. You should get some rest."

"Thanks, Roy," Maes said wearily. "I'm sorry I can't be more helpful right now."

"Don't worry about it. We'll talk later. For now, just focus on healing up." He gave Maes's good shoulder an affectionate shove, then subtly pressed something small into his hand. "Take care." When the nurse came in to check on Maes, Roy was already halfway toward the door. "He needs more medicine," he told her.

The nurse nodded. "Thank you. I'll take it from here; you should probably give him some space, Colonel."

"Will do." With a quick wave of farewell, Roy left the hospital and strolled casually back toward the TARDIS where Riza was already waiting for him.

"An investigation? Where did that come from?" she demanded.

"I don't know," Roy said, almost as puzzled as she was. "I just…knew it was going to happen somehow. Almost like I thought of it myself."

"You did," the Doctor told him, leaning against the console with his arms crossed. "A past version of yourself lives in this timeline. Whatever he says, does, or decides becomes part of your memories. If you focus hard enough, you might be able to connect with him."

"You mean I can remember where I was at this time, and what I was saying? Thinking?"

The Doctor nodded. "Riza as well. Don't forget; Colonel Roy Mustang is _you_. Whatever he does becomes something you _did_. You told Hughes you were planning an investigation because you already planned it."

"This could be useful," Roy determined.

"Can you tell where you are right now?" Riza asked.

Roy closed his eyes and focused his mind on the source of what cued him in about the investigation. Sure enough, he could see himself unpacking his office. "I'm in my office," he told her. "Fuery just came in. I'm giving him permission to go home."

"Can you remember anything from earlier today?"

Roy paused again and frowned slightly, fuzzily recalling the rapid trip to the hospital and the deep concern for his friend. He remembered questioning Hughes and being interrupted by little Elicia. "He didn't tell me anything this morning, either," Roy commented. "I was…I was frustrated. I didn't know how he could possibly forget everything after what he told me on the phone."

"Anything else?" Riza prompted.

"Yes." Roy closed his eyes. "I thought it was unlike Hughes to withhold information unless…unless he was being watched. I figured he might be paranoid about who was listening in to the conversation. Makes sense. That explains his behavior tonight. He really wasn't himself." Suddenly, Roy stiffened, and his eyes snapped open in alarm as another memory hit.

"What is it?" Riza asked, placing a hand on his arm and leaning forward a little. "What?"

Roy's hands tightened into fists and his eyes narrowed. "_He_ was at the hospital. I passed him in the hallway. He was heading for Hughes's room." Roy set his jaw and said through his teeth, "Fuhrer Bradley."

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I still do not own Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or Doctor Who. I'm not talented enough to create anime, but it sure as heck would be a fun job. I'd also like to give some credit to NotYourNormalFangirl, who reviewed Chapter 5 and, in doing so, inspired many great ideas for future chapters.<strong>

**AN: And the plot thickens. As always, I welcome and love your input, ideas, critiques, compliments, and anything else you want to throw my way (as long as it doesn't resemble a flame, because I'm hoping the only flame in this story will come from the flame alchemist). Keep reading and keep reviewing; I love feedback, and your support is what motivates me to keep this story alive. :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Déjà Vu

**Chapter 7: Déjà Vu**

**For those who have already seen this chapter when I first posted it, sorry I had to take it down, but shortly after posting it, I realized I made a lot of big mistakes that needed to be fixed. I also had to make a minor change in Chapter 6, but this one was the biggest blunder.**

**Firstly, I forgot that Edward's encounter in the Fifth Laboratory took place before the death of Maes Hughes, so it would be a pile of rubble right now. Never thought it would be so hard to write a timey-wimey fanfic, but there you go. I went back to Chapter 6 and switched the rendezvous point to the Third Laboratory, where all the crazy stuff went down with Lust's death, the Immortal Legion, and Roy's vengeance against Envy. Also...I accidentally put Episode 17 in my disclaimer. It was Episode 19. I need to get my facts straight; sorry, guys!**

**Paradox Flux: It will be interesting, to say the least! ;) Thanks for the review!**

**AfghaniVeteranHedgehog: Thank you so much! Hope you like this next chapter! :D**

**Kenzie Perth: I love Greed. "And ladies! I don't fight women; I'm not that kinda guy!" :) Thanks for sticking with this story; I appreciate your support and am glad you like it so far!**

* * *

><p>"Fuhrer Bradley was in the hospital?"<p>

Roy nodded. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After what I did to Envy, the homunculi are bound to be on high alert."

Riza sighed and started pacing a little, which was uncharacteristic of her. Roy hated to see her this agitated; everything they were dealing with was clearly taking a toll on her. When all of this was over, he would do whatever she wanted, no questions asked. He doubted there was anything he could really do to make it up to her, but he had to try. For the time being, all they could do was focus on their mission.

"The homunculi certainly complicate things," Roy mused, "but I think my past self is a bigger obstacle right now."

"How so?" Riza asked, stopping her pacing to look at him.

"Our original plan was for me to feed information to Hughes, but I can't easily do that when my past self is in the dark about all of this," he pointed out. "Whatever I tell Hughes would directly contrast with what my past self knows, so there's no way to keep my presence here a secret."

Riza sighed, then slowly sank to a sitting position on the floor, lost in thought. "Neither of us can do very much with Hughes except protect him," she agreed, "because he will have regular contact with our past selves." After a moment's pause, she stood up and crossed over to her bags, where she'd left some materials to clean her equipment. With all the bad news floating around, she wanted to do something useful with her hands. It helped her focus. "We would be putting ourselves at risk if we reveal ourselves to him, because he spends a lot of time with you."

"True," Roy said thoughtfully. "Hughes aside, what about someone who doesn't have regular contact with our past selves? Or, specifically, someone who doesn't have regular contact with anyone?"

Riza didn't look up from her cleaning as she processed the new idea. "The homunculi. You're saying we handle the homunculi ourselves?"

"In a way, yes." As Roy watched the steady, deliberate movements of Riza's hands, he was momentarily distracted from his train of thought. "Want me to help with that?"

A flash of defiance crossed her features. "Stick to your alchemy and keep your paws off my weapons."

"Okay, okay, fair enough," Roy said, raising his hands slightly and suppressing a chuckle. "Anyway, I was thinking we could make it easier for the people in this timeline by eliminating some of the homunculi. Even out the chess board, in a manner of speaking. We both know how effective my attacks are, right? So we isolate one, take it down quickly, and do so in a way that doesn't alert the others. If we decrease their forces, then everyone on our side will have a better chance of winning, and if that happens, the timeline will fix itself."

Riza was quiet for a few moments as she considered his proposal. After slowly reassembling one of her pistols, she finally looked her fiancé in the eye. "That could work. Let's just hope Hughes doesn't die in the process."

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen," Roy said firmly.

Riza narrowed her eyes. "If it comes down to it, though, I need to know that you would save the timeline over Maes Hughes."

Roy swallowed, thinking of all the people that could die if he made the wrong choice under pressure. "All right," he said at last. "We'll do everything we can to save the timeline without letting Hughes die, but…but if I have to choose, I won't make the same mistake again."

"Good," Riza said, setting her weapon aside and crossing the room to embrace him. "That was all I needed to hear."

* * *

><p>"Maes Hughes had a visitor tonight."<p>

The father gazed down at Pride with mild interest, though his constantly-neutral expression did not change to match any particular reaction to this news. "Did he?"

Pride nodded and unfolded a small piece of paper. "Roy Mustang left this in the hospital room. It's an ouroboros symbol."

"Interesting." The father leaned forward a little, deep in thought. "Did this man seem any different from the one who visited this morning?"

"In some ways, yes," Pride told him. "He seems to know more, and there are small differences in the way he acts.

"Learn everything you can about him," the father ordered. "He is not to meddle with our plans, but if he can be used, then we will do so."

Pride smiled a little, never quite getting over the satisfaction of being the first, oldest, and most trusted homunculus. As his name suggests, he always took great pride in the ways he made his father proud. "I will not let you down, Father," he promised. "I have a theory you may want to consider."

The father maintained his pensive expression, though there was a hint of interest in his eyes. "Go on."

"I think the second Mustang has opened the Portal."

The father's eyes widened a little, which was a unique shift from his usual blank expression. "Are you certain?" he asked, sounding far more intent than usual.

Pride hesitated, knowing the consequences of providing false information. "It hasn't been proven yet," he clarified, "but once he comes out of hiding again, I'll continue to watch him closely. As soon as I find proof that he has indeed opened the Portal, you will be the first to know about it."

"Very good, Pride," the father said, leaning back in his chair. "Go forth and do my bidding." After uttering this final order, the father descended into deep, uninterrupted thought once more.

* * *

><p>It took a few days of planning and preparation, but Roy and Riza wanted to make sure they did this correctly. Fortunately, they had enough time before the Promised Day to take action against the enemy, but even so, they knew things would get more difficult after the first homunculus was eliminated. The homunculi would, no doubt, step up their game when they caught wind of someone interfering with their plans. In order to decrease the chances of suspicion, Roy and Riza were careful to stay in the dark for a few days. Maybe the homunculi would lose interest in the second Roy who attacked Envy on the night of Hughes's near-murder, or perhaps their guard would go down when they realize he is no longer a problem. Either way, Roy hoped they would direct their focus elsewhere if he stayed out of range for the time being.<p>

Now that their time of hiding had passed—rather quickly thanks to the TARDIS—Roy and Riza made their way to the Third Laboratory. They would, no doubt, find homunculi nested there. With Roy's unique abilities, they would have no problem getting in, raising hell, destroying the evidence, and getting out.

"It could be a trap," Roy murmured, creeping closer to the lab under cover of night.

Riza narrowed her eyes, feeling chills run up and down her spine at the sight of the facility that had almost claimed Roy's life, and later, his sanity. "Of course it is," she said, "but it's the best place to start, right?"

Roy nodded. "Right. We're the only ones who can put the timeline back in its place, and since Hughes is alive, my past self is less likely to come here and kill Lust. It falls on us to get it done. I did this before when I was half-dead, so this shouldn't be too hard. As always, watch my back. Make sure the coast is clear, and once we're inside, stay close."

"Right." Riza scanned the perimeter once more, but she could see nothing. "You're clear."

Thanks to his trip through the Portal, Roy had no trouble creating a makeshift door into the lab. Trusting Riza to cover him, he put all his focus into the transmutation as he clapped his hands together to form the familiar circle, then pressed them against the back wall. As his gloved hands connected with the material, he felt its composition and carefully rearranged a desired section of it into a door. The process took mere seconds, and from an outsider's perspective, Roy had merely touched the wall, created an electric current of flashing blue light, and left a door in its wake.

Without bothering to look around, Roy strode through the door and used a similar process on one of the walls to get to the secret white room where, no doubt, he would find the homunculi. "Keep your eyes peeled," he hissed to Riza, who was mere steps behind him. "This place is probably guarded."

"That it is," a rough, melodramatic voice announced. "I am Number Sixty-Six, and I'm in charge of guarding this laboratory from intruders. I must say, it's been a really long time since I've gotten to chop anything up. I'll enjoy cutting you into tiny little pieces!" The voice was soon accompanied by a short, heavy-set suit of armor bearing two large butcher-style knives.

Roy was not in the mood for messing around. Despite having worked extensively with Barry the Chopper, Roy saw no need for his services since Maria Ross would never be framed for Hughes's murder. "Is that so?" In one smooth movement, he clapped his hands together, then snapped his fingers to activate the ignition fibers in his gloves. With his knowledge of flame alchemy, Roy easily manipulated the oxygen density in the air to create a long-range explosion directly inside and around the suit of armor. Within seconds, Number Sixty-Six was a pile of metal scraps scattered about the room. In a show of mercy, Roy made sure to destroy the blood seal binding Barry to the armor so the soul would not be trapped in a useless pile of metal. "Now for the _real_ reason we came here."

No sooner had the words left Roy's mouth than long, black talons pierced straight into his back and through his stomach. Just as quickly as they'd arrived, the spears retracted, leaving Roy frozen in place, shock plastered on his features and blood seeping through his clothing.

"_Roy, no!_" Riza shrieked, shooting rapidly in the direction the talons had come from before rushing to steady him. "Roy, look at me. _Look me in the eye_."

"I…I'm fine…" he stammered, knowing the rapid blood loss would soon make him dizzy and therefore useless. He had to end this quickly before he lost consciousness.

A familiar woman sidled out of the shadows, bearing a few small bullet holes in her face and chest, all of which emitted red sparks as her body regenerated itself. "The real reason you came here, hmm? I assume you were talking about me."

"We need to get out of here," Riza whispered, trying to ignore her rapidly-pounding heart. Her whole body itched for battle and, though she hated to admit it to herself, vengeance. Riza couldn't help but note the irony of the situation; not only was this the place Lust had died last time, but it had also been the place Roy nearly became a slave to vengeance. She wanted to rip Lust apart for nearly killing Roy a second time, but her first instinct was to get him to safety before it was too late. She knew from experience that, without Roy's help, she was virtually useless against Lust's abilities.

Roy shook his head, feeling his vision start to blur. He had to make this quick. Trusting Riza to pick up his signal, Roy tapped his thumb and middle finger together twice, silently telling her to be his eyes and direct his flame attacks. Setting his jaw, Roy mustered all his energy to clap his hands together, snap his fingers, and direct his flame at the enemy.

Lust screamed and writhed on the ground, unable to regenerate fast enough between Roy's incessant flame attacks. Her shrieks were all too familiar; Roy was not entirely thrilled at the notion of having to kill this woman twice. Given the circumstances, it had been enough of a struggle the first time around. The identical location did not help the eeriness of the situation.

As the screaming continued, Lust made every possible attempt to go on the offensive again. At one point, Riza had to pull Roy back to prevent a lethal stab in the head. The pain started to fade as Roy's body continuously tried to shut down; each time Roy killed Lust, he found it even more difficult to stay on his feet and prevent the darkness from taking him. By the time he made the final blow, which was almost entirely directed by Riza, his mind was so far gone that he barely even registered he was done. Riza had to stop him from sending another flame attack on the disintegrating homunculus.

"You killed me," Lust hissed. "I hate losing." Riza shuddered at the continued sense of irony. The slippery homunculus had uttered these same words the first time Roy killed her. "You know so much more than you should," Lust went on, her words becoming as wispy as her fading figure. "I can see it in your eyes. I look forward to the day when those eyes become wide with agony."

This was too much déjà vu for Riza's liking. It clearly unsettled Roy as well, for the sound of Lust's voice seemed to trigger a fight-reaction in the alchemist's foggy mind. Riza quickly placed her hand over his and applied enough gentle pressure to lower his arm. "Roy, it's okay—you won. She's dead now. Stay awake—I'm taking you back to the TARDIS." Her eyes watered a little, but she quickly blinked away the tears before they could fall. She needed to be able to see clearly in order to get him out of there. As she pulled him toward the door he had made, she felt him go limp in her arms. "Stay with me, Roy," she snapped, refusing to let her fear put them in more danger. It was no easy task to carry a man almost twice her weight, but the TARDIS was so close to the Third Laboratory that she did not have to carry him far.

The Doctor was waiting for them. He took one look at Roy's condition and practically leaped to the console. "There's a nearby planet with a high-quality hospital facility," the Doctor informed her. "Obviously, I can't take you out of this timeline," he rambled as he pushed buttons and pulled levers, "but I can take you anywhere in space."

Riza only half-heard him as she dutifully applied pressure to Roy's injuries. "You lost a lot of blood," she murmured. "But you're still breathing. You never gave up on me, so don't you dare give up on yourself. I won't let you die."

Neither Riza nor the Doctor was aware that the TARDIS was being watched by a small boy swathed in shadows.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Brotherhood, nor do I own the scenes based upon Episode 19: Death of the Undying.<strong>

**AN: Lots of crazy stuff going down! To those who read the previous version of this chapter, I'm very sorry about all the mistakes. There are a lot of things to take into consideration when writing a time-related fanfic because it's so timey-wimey that details can get lost or messed up. For those who are reading this chapter for the first time, I hope you enjoyed it! Basically, I had to change the Fifth Laboratory and its details to the Third Laboratory and its details since its destruction happened before Hughes's death.**

**Also, sorry this chapter is shorter than the last one, but I usually keep them to about this length. Hope you enjoyed it anyway! Also, I have something pretty big planned for the next one, so instead of cramming it all into this chapter, I'm going to be evil and make you guys wait. Thanks for reading, and I hope you like what I've got going here! It's fun as heck to write. ;)**


End file.
